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Regression
Regression is a roleplay set in The Celesti Universe, and takes place at the same time, and slightly prior to, the main Celesti roleplay. The story focuses on Mercy Troubadour and her mission of peace, which soon escalates into a war against her own people of Centuri. The Roleplay currently includes Ranna, Cudpug and Hyaru. As of 21/5/10, Regression has been concluded and the events of the story tied-up. The ending of the roleplay particularly has been commended by some and criticised by others: the choice to leave Regression on a cliffhanger has upset some, who wish to know what happens to the characters of Byron, Mercy and their child, Gabriel. Cudpug has clarified, however, that the fate of these characters will be made apparent later in the Celesti canon. There is an idea in the works to add a couple of chapters to the end of the roleplay in order to tie up loose ends. Story Regression takes place as a canon story-arch of the main Celesti roleplay, and focuses on events which flow neatly into the introduction of Celesti, as well as during the main roleplay. Rather than focusing on Silveon's Vanguard, Regression places emphasis on Mercy Troubadour, a young Equisarian noble and Peace Emissary of Centuri. During the beginning of Regression, a treaty is to be signed between Centuri and The Dog Lands (Nabreus; Damascus) in order to avoid conflict. Mercy, alongside her father, the brother of King Desmond of Centuri, Chiron Troubadour, and her retainer since childhood, Leosuke, travel to the Capital of Nabreus, Rishona, in order to sign the treaty. Unfortunately, the very night that they are present, Emperor Seti XVI, Emperor of Rishona, is murdered by The Resistance - a group of rebel Fox Pures - and the blame is placed on Chiron and the Troubadour family. Fortunately, two members of The Order, Lyle and Holt, were tipped off of the Resistance's movements, and arrive just in time to save Mercy. They help to her escape, but her father is imprisoned. Meanwhile, Leosuke, who leaves the Palace of Seti prior to the assassination, encounters Lyra, a young girl forced to work in a brothel in the streets of Rishona. After taking pity on her, the two become fast friends and travel together. Mercy remains adamant that she must save her father. With Lyle and Holt at her side, as well as Quince, her tutor in the art of the sword, attempt to rescue Chiron from the prison. After events which lead to Chiron escaping and Mercy being imprisoned herself, Lyle, Holt and Quince manage to save the girl, but Holt is wounded. Quince leaves to find medical attention for Holt, and Lyle and Mercy are forced to escape Rishona. After hijacking a ship, they fly above the desert and locate their party members below with a travelling group of merchants. With the four of them united, they return to Centuri where they encounter Chiron, who has returned safely. In the wake of the Luparian's quick incrimination of the Equisarians and their imprisonment of them, Centuri and The Dog Lands declare war on one another. Centuri is seen by the surrounding nations to be in the justified position, as they were wrongly accused. It is revealed too that Chiron means for Mercy to marry Wil, his Captain of the Guard, who has desired Mercy for many years. Mercy, Holt, Lyle and Quince return to Centuri Quince disappears - as usual - and the three remaining return to Mercy's Manor. It is here that they are greeted by Chiron, but something seems amiss: he seems reluctant to meet Lyle and Holt, and when Mercy is not present demands that they leave back to Nabreus. Feeling offended, Lyle and Holt do so, leaving Mercy safe at home. They head to the pub, and it is here that they encounter Leosuke and Lyra, who have both returned. It seems that in their travels a romantic relationship has bloomed. They get talking in the pub and find that they all know Mercy. Leosuke can't believe that Chiron dismissed them, and returns with the three Luparians to Mercy's Manor. It is here that Chiron and Wil apologise and leave in a hurry, acting suspicious. Mercy is reunited with Leosuke, discovers that he and Lyra are close, and moreover feels glad to have Lyle and Holt, her friends, close by. It seems as if everything is returning to normal for Mercy, when the following morning a mysterious visitor arrives at the gate of her Manor; an old childhood friend called Byron Cristata who has recently lost his parents to a rumoured illness. He had heard of Mercy's imprisonment, and visits her to inquire to her health - however, he has his own motives for seeking her companionship; he feels concerned and suspicious about his parent's death. With Mercy's help, and the reluctant Lyle and Holt, he seeks to find out the truth about his parents mysterious death, believing it to have something to do with his Uncle, Duke Forena. Cast Mercy Troubadour Mercy is a young noble of Centuri, daughter of Chiron Troubadour and Peace Emissary of Centuri. Born with an illness, she was predicted not to live into her teen years by doctors when she was younger, yet triumphed above her prognosis and survived. Based on her weak stature, Mercy set herself the aspiration of always making the most of her life and attempting to achieve more than people of her age: at fifteen she was heavily involved in the politics of her country, and she began training under the expert tutorage of Quince Emeris. Mercy is a respectable character, not shy to speak her mind, but also a loving and caring individual; ever the lady of the Manor, yet also tomboyish at times and not afraid of conflict when it comes her way. She serves as the main protagonist of Regression. Near the climax of the Roleplay she marries Byron Cristata and the two of them have a child together - Gabriel. She is roleplayed by Ranna. Leosuke Zodian Leosuke is an Equisarian guard in his mid-twenties, who once served in the army under Chiron Troubadour. He left his profession in order to protect Mercy and become her personal guard and tutor. He is affectionate towards her, but at times overly-protective, although he always has her best interests at heart. Leosuke begins Regression disliking Luparians, but his relationship with Lyra quickly changes these misconceptions. He is a strong fighter and a loyal friend, and remains by Mercy's side throughout the Roleplay. Near the end of the roleplay he marries Lyra, and the two of them later have a child together - Teddie Zodian. He is roleplayed by Cudpug. Lyle Abagnale Lyle is a Luparian Wolf Pure who saves Mercy's life in Nabreus after she is blamed for the murder of Seti XVI. He is strong-willed and an expert swordsman, trained in the art of The Order with his companion and best friend, Holt. He can be quick to anger, but remains a nice-natured character who develops strong feelings for Mercy. Lyle is a courageous character who acts first, and asks questions later, and serves as one of Regression's main protagonists. Throughout the events of Regression he falls in love with Mercy, but grows ever more frustrated that he cannot be with her. Near the end of the roleplay his feelings lead him to attack and rape Mercy, something which he struggles to live with afterwards. He is roleplayed by Cudpug. Holt Broker Holt is Lyle's close companion and one of the main characters within Regression. He is the most level-headed of the two wolves, and the smarter as well. Holt is a man of few words, but the words he does utter are often calculated and informative. He is more placid and relaxed than Lyle, but cares deeply about his friends. He develops a relationship with Cyrus, and the two remain close to one another until near the end of the roleplay. At this point, Holt is murdered by Silveon, believing Holt to be Lyle. Holt, in order to save his friend, sacrificed himself. He is roleplayed by Ranna. Lyra Sommers Lyra is a Luparian Dog Pure who Leosuke encounters on the streets of Rishona serving as a prostitute. She has recently been thrown onto the streets by her former boss, Rufus, and Leosuke gathers her up and looks after her, sympathising with her. He learns much from Lyra: her worldly attitude and knowledge of the darker side of life influences his rather innocent nature, and he vows to prevent Lyra from ever falling into such debauchery again. Lyra is an optimistic character, but also a very sensual, sexual being when she needs to be; no doubt because of her seedy past. Leosuke is the first man in her life to treat her like a lady, so just as she teaches him, she too learns from his ornate manner and polite dialect and attitude. She marries Leosuke at the end of the roleplay, and they later have two children, Teddie and Becca, together. She is roleplayed by Ranna. Quince Emeris Quince Emeris is an Avarian Pure and one of Silveon's Vanguard, present in the beginning section of Regression and then appearing randomly when he is required in later stages of the Roleplay. Quince's role in the early stages of Regression is as a saviour to Mercy and Chiron, as well as a bringer of knowledge. During events in Regression where Byron contracts Silveon to have Duke Forena killed, Quince is summoned to take the job. From this point, Quince fades out of the Roleplay somewhat (as he is, in canon to the timeline of the story, involved in events in the main Celesti Roleplay during this time). Nevertheless, Quince is always present when he is needed the most and remains the usual cool, dark and enigmatic individual that we know and love. He is roleplayed by Ranna. Byron Cristata Byron is the final member of the party to join the group. He is a Blue Jay Avarian - an extremely rare gene of Avarian that has mostly died out - and also serves as a good friend to Mercy, who he has known since childhood. Their relationship is questionable; on the one hand, he and Mercy have a platonic relationship from their childhood, yet it is hinted that there could be something more between them. Byron is suspicious of his parent's mysterious death, and believes that they were poisoned, although seeks proof. He receives help from Mercy and the group in doing so, and remains with them in the aftermath when further situations threaten Celesti. He falls in love with and marries Mercy in the second half of the roleplay, and by the Epilogue the two have a child together. He is roleplayed by Hyaru. Cyrus of The Order Cyrus is a minor-major character who joins the party in the second half of the roleplay. Although not critical to developments, his relationship with The Order makes him close to Lyle and Holt - he falls in love with the latter, suggesting the first openly homosexual couple in the Celesti canon. When Holt is killed near the end of the roleplay, Cyrus swears revenge on Byron, who gave the command to Silveon that ultimately lead to the death of his lover. The roleplay ends with Cyrus working for the Avarian empire, on a mission to kill Byron. Chiron Troubadour Chiron is a wealthy and powerful General in the Centurian army, famous for his war exploits and vast knowledge of Celesti. He is a strong, noble character who demands respect from all who look his way. He loves his daughter, Mercy, very much, and is a good, successful father and husband. However, his domestic life sometimes comes second to his professional career, and in recent years he has been setting his gaze on foreign lands and expanding Centuri as a nation, both in land and in military might. He seems to have a grand plan, but he often does not speak of it to his family. Although opposed to the close unity between Centuri and The Dog Lands, he eventually decides that it is best for he country and allies the two countries together. He is roleplayed by Cudpug. General Information Regression is an important Roleplay for a number of reasons. It serves as a prelude to the overall Celesti canon, explaining why Frost and Quince are on a mission to murder Duke Forena at the start of Celesti. It furthermore explains the conflict between The Dog Lands and Centuri which is ongoing throughout Celesti, and even plays a part in roleplays such as The Successor. It serves with The Successor as a spin-off of the Celesti franchise, although the creators take issue with this labelling. Cudpug has said, Regression isn't a spin-off. I generally dislike spin-offs a lot of the time. Regression can be considered a Prologue if anything, and the way it overlaps with Celesti is quite intelligent. Imagine that Celesti is what is going on in the world in one area; Regression is what is happening on the other side of the globe at the same time. We wanted to make the world of Celesti into a living, breathing environment, by not just focusing on one set of people. The wars, the alliances and everything in-between affects so many people, and we wanted to illustrate this by having numerous characters in the canon, with all the events adding up perfectly. We believe that we have achieved this. Furthermore, both Ranna and Cudpug were incredibly grateful to have Hyaru join the roleplay. They explained together why this was, stating that it was a combination of wishing to turn Hyaru into a more confident writer, as well as drawing on her own inspirations and ideas to flesh out the story. Cudpug said on the matter, We wanted Amanda to be in the roleplay, as Regression was going pretty slowly with no major direction. It was one of the roleplays that me and Annie did on the side, but we never considered it to be up there with one of our 'greats'. I'm talking Scars of Time, Fifth Cycle and The Successor. However, already with her inclusion, the three of us have come up with some great ideas, and we're all really enjoying the roleplay a lot more now that there's more of us involved. Trivia *Regression, alongside The Successor, Scars of Time and Celesti, means that Quince has appeared in four roleplays; with his brief mentioning in Til Kingdom Come, Quince has appeared in five roleplays; the most popularised character in the history of The True Mirror. *Regression is worth reading to flesh out knowledge required for latter roleplays, particularly The Successor. The Order and The Resistance (later The Ascendancy) play an important role in The Successor, and they are first explored in depth within Regression. *There is a beta game in the works for Regression. Already areas in Regression are being worked on, included a completed Rishona and an in-the-works explorable Centuri. The game is being made by Ranna and Cudpug, but little else is known about it as of yet. *Continuing with the musical motif on The True Mirror, Regression is named after a song of the same name from Dream Theater's Scene from a Memory. The same can be said for The Successor, which is a track from the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack respectively. *The actual relevance of the title, 'Regression' is currently ambiguous. Whereas The Successor has many clear readings in the eponymous roleplay (Chase's Succession to Lancet; Hunter's Succession to his father etc.), Regression has yet to reveal the importance of the title. The Lost Chapters Regression ended with questions still left to answer. Although what happens at the end of the roleplay is later explained in The Successor, some fans have expressed a desire to see these events played out; particularly the demise of Mercy and Byron, and what happens with Silveon, Wil and Cyrus, as well as the child of the Prince and Princess, Gabriel. It has been rumoured that the Admins and Hyaru are interested in adding chapters to the roleplay to explain what happens next, although it is unclear when, or even if, these chapters will be made.